This article describes the foreign policy positions taken by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign (announced June 16, 2015).
Overview
In a New York Times interview in July 2016, Presidential Nominee Trump "repeatedly defined American global interests almost purely in economic terms," with the nation's "roles as a peacekeeper, as a provider of a nuclear deterrent against adversaries like North Korea, as an advocate of human rights and as a guarantor of allies' borders" being "quickly reduced to questions of economic benefit to the United States."
A 68-page document likely written by and under the direction of the Trump administration's national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster was released by the Trump administration in December 2017, which has been referred to as outlining the administration's doctrine pertaining to foreign policy goals.
United States Armed Forces and defense spending
Trump stated in a December 2015 Republican primary debate that "Our military is a disaster," and in a July 2016 on-air radio broadcast described the United States Armed Forces as "depleted and in horrible shape."
In July 2016, retired U.S. Marine Corps General John R. Allen, who supports Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton, gave a forceful speech against Trump at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Trump responded by calling the four-star military leader "a failed general" and saying that he had never met him.
Trump has stated on several occasions that if elected president, he "would increase [spending] on the military." Trump claims that the United States Armed Forces will be "funded beautifully" if he was elected president. While Trump has not offered specifics on defense spending under a Trump presidency, he has repeatedly called for a U.S. military buildup and has criticized President Barack Obama's military spending strategy. Trump has criticized the decline in the numbers of active-duty armed forces, Navy ships and Air Force planes since the end of the Cold War. Trump has pledged to rein in wasteful spending in the military.
In an interview with Fox News in June 2015, Trump claimed: "There's nobody bigger or better at the military than I am." In an interview with The Washington Post, Trump said that he would not reveal his military plans for fear of informing the enemy: "I don't want them to know what I'm thinking, does that make sense? I want people to be guessing ... I don't want people to figure it out. I don't want people to know what my plan is. I have plans. I have plans! But I don't want to do it."
Diplomacy and U.S. allies
Trump has stated his intention to provide presidential leadership with strong diplomacy to restore "respect" for the United States around the world. He supports a robust national defense. In an interview with Bill O'Reilly, Trump claimed that he had a proven record in negotiating with foreign countries. "I've made a fortune with foreign countries."
Trump has stated, "We Americans are laughed at around the world for losing a hundred and fifty billion dollars year after year, for defending wealthy nations for nothing, nations that would be wiped off the face of the earth in about 15 minutes if it weren't for us. Our 'allies' are making billions screwing us." Trump has called for allied countries, including Germany, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea to pay the United States for helping protect their nations.
Foreign policy advisors
Trump unveiled a list of foreign policy advisors in April 2016: Joseph E. Schmitz, Walid Phares, Keith Kellogg, Carter Page, Bert Mizusawa, Gary Harrell, Chuck Kubic and George Papadopoulos. Retired Lt. General Michael Flynn is also a Trump foreign policy advisor (and was reportedly on Trump's shortlist for running mate). Politico noted that several of those cited on the list "are complete unknowns; others have mixed reputations among GOP national security pros." According to Duke political science professor Peter Feaver, the list "looks more like an ad hoc coalition of the willing than any deliberate effort to reflect a particular candidate's vision of America's role in the world." After it was reported that Carter Page was being investigated for allegedly meeting with Kremlin officials over the summer of 2016, a Trump campaign spokesman denied that Page had ever been part of the campaign, except as an "informal adviser".